i8 | the center for victims of torture Coming together for The Center for Victims of Torture’s new home By Meredith Hayes Gordon and Russell Philstrom, Perkins+Will Getting to know clients and really understanding their mission is one of the most exciting parts of a design project. The process of understanding the DNA and culture of The Center for Victims of Torture was not only personally eye-opening, but critical to defining a concept for the organization’s new headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. It required the generosity of many key players to ensure that this worthy group received a space they deserved. The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture and violent conflict. It provides direct care for those who have been tortured, trains partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocates for human rights and an end to torture. The organization had outgrown its historic headquarters, once a former mansion, and was leasing office space five kilometers away to accommodate growth. But this dislocation was very inefficient for CVT, and it became clear that a new headquarters project would be required to bring everyone together and break down the barriers impeding their work. Perkins+Will’s design team began by focusing on shared space. They introduced ideas of an open office environment, with smaller personal space balanced by more collaborative spaces. As our team did this, the client’s initial hesitation grew into anticipation, knowing that those barriers could be removed. The biggest challenge to the design team was the budget. The team needed to come up with a solution that worked for a budget that didn’t compromise vital programs. CVT’s real estate broker donated some of his time to negotiate a reasonable tenant fit-out cost with the landlord, and the design team aimed to stay within those limits. His contribution would become one of many that would add to this project. The donations never slowed down. Planning, programming and design services were provided by Perkins+Will pro bono. This was possible because the new CVT headquarters is a project completed under the Perkins+Will Social Responsibility Initiative. And the design team used the story of CVT’s mission to talk to other consultants about donating their own services. A consultant from another company gladly provided lighting design pro bono to ensure that the existing dark space was transformed into a bright, cheerful environment. Once bidding was underway, the team organized tours of CVT’s healing center for subcontractors, product vendors and other parties participating in construction. These tours helped enlighten participants about the important work that CVT does for torture survivors, and also had the effect of encouraging donations of time and materials. Further capitalizing on the power of relationships and connections, we made personal phone calls requesting product donations. The outpouring of support was downright heartwarming. As construction began, the contractor company contributed a lot to ensuring that the project could be completed within budget. They personally visited each and every subcontractor’s office to make a personal ask for time and material donations. The donations resulted in thousands of dollars savings for CVT. Their team also helped organize and assist in volunteer cleaning days, which saved critical dollars out of the budget. We asked another company to be the workspace solutions vendor. They donated design and research time to ensure that CVT staff would be supported with a modern, well-functioning and dignified workspace, without breaking CVT’s budget. 10